99 Kids Holdings Co. just secured $5M in a Series A, and this one feels less like a funding round and more like a cultural sequel the market has been waiting for. Exponential Ventures stepped up to lead the round, placing a confident bet on a franchise that already proved it could travel across borders and belief systems without losing its pulse.
Congratulations to Chairman James Drage and the team at 99 Kids Holdings Co. for getting this across the line. When a Partner at Exponential Ventures doubles down as Chairman, that is not casual capital. That is conviction. And salute to Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of THE 99, who built the original universe back in 2006 with 47 comics, 6 DC Justice League crossovers, 52 animated episodes, a theme park in Kuwait, and distribution that reached more than 50M viewers in over 60 countries. That kind of track record does not fade. It waits.
THE 99 was never just capes and catchphrases. It was values in motion. Empathy. Justice. Wisdom. Compassion. Superpowers rooted in something deeper than spectacle. Operations paused in 2014 under political pressure, which only underscores how powerful stories can be when they touch nerves. Now, with fresh capital and sharper tools, the mission returns for a generation that scrolls faster but still searches for meaning.
The plan is disciplined and deliberate. All 52 episodes remastered in 4K with enhanced audio. Free global distribution through YouTube and select broadcast partners. Localization across English, Arabic, Indonesian, Urdu, Hindi and more. A Roblox game landing in 2026. New comics. An animated special. Then from 2027 forward, new original series, graphic novels, expanded gaming, and live action adaptations. This is not noise. This is orchestration.
Salim Ismail, Co-Founder of Exponential Ventures, is joining the advisory board. That signals scale thinking. Exponential Ventures does not chase small ideas. They look for platforms that can move across continents. 99 Kids Holdings Co. is positioning THE 99 to reach 99+ countries, leaning into AI-powered tools to personalize fan engagement and build community at speed. When you pair timeless IP with modern distribution and intelligent tech, you do not just relaunch. You compound.
For founders watching this, the lesson is clean. Enduring IP is an asset class. If you build something with cultural gravity and global accessibility, capital will circle back when the timing aligns. For investors, this is a reminder that impact and commercial upside are not rivals. In the right hands, they are allies.
And for broadcasters, platforms, and brand partners looking for stories that travel without losing their soul, THE 99 is stepping back onto the global stage, remastered, recalibrated, and ready to meet 6–12 year olds where they already live, play, and imagine.
